The boat was carrying 60 people, District Magistrate Bhawani Singh said. Police and PAC personnel have fished out 22 bodies so far while 10 others have been rescued, he said. A search was on to trace others. "The boat was ferrying passengers more than its capacity. Most of the passengers of the ill-fated boat were women. As soon as the boat reached mid-stream it capsized," the district magistrate said. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh each for the kin of the deceased, ANI reported.

Representational image. PTI

The chief minister also directed the district magistrate to immediately provide succour to the affected people, Principal Secretary (Information) Awanish Awasthi said.

He said a probe has been ordered into the incident.

The victims, mostly labourers, were travelling from Katha village in Bhagpat district to Sonipat, Haryana.

Villagers told the police the boat was overcrowded, which could be one reason for the tragedy.

In a separate incident, at least six people drowned in river Ganga in Bihar’s Maranchi.

The police rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation, News Nation reported.

In July, a similar incident occurred at Nagpur when a boat carrying 11 people capsized in Kamleshwar tehsil near Nagpur, leaving at least two dead.